Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Team USA?

When I walked up to the beach this morning, I was met by a big mural on the Graffiti Walls that bore the American flag and the words TEAM USA.

I did not feel the immediate swell of pride I once did as a kid raised in Minnesota, for whom the term "Team USA" will forever mean the Miracle On Ice USA Hockey team from 1980 (Sadly, one of the last times I felt true unity, over something positive). Instead, I felt mostly confusion, like Really? When was the last time we were all a team on anything? When was the last time you weren't utterly embarrassed by at least half of our country's citizens? When was the last time you trusted the Government, or thought we had leaders that weren't fully corrupted by corporations? It's been a long, long time ... When even the DNC admits total corruption in this current election, and the presumptive nominee PROMOTES the person responsible ... the party's over for anyone who remotely thought our elections were still democratic. The confusion comes in when I realize that I'm still profoundly grateful that I'm still able to be free, voice my opposition, stand up for progressive candidates, protest in the streets, have my heart swell at our nation's overwhelming natural beauty, and be moved to my very core by the acts and deeds of the GOOD people of our country still, almost every day.

I love the Olympics. It's one of the very few times it feels like we're all on the same team. I can't wait to watch them when they begin next week in Rio ... and hope that we can all root together for each other once more. Even if it's just about sports. It's something. Maybe it can still rub off on us for things that really matter. Like a political revolution that simply MUST happen if we ever hope to live up to our true potential as a country.